Congressional Candidate Kat Abughazaleh on ICE Violence and Conditions in Broadview Facility
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! democracynow.org.I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.
We end today’s show in Chicago, where Juan is. As at least 10 people were arrested in protests outside an ICE facility Friday, with federal immigration agents firing pepper balls and using tear gas on the crowd, Democratic congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh was thrown to the ground by ICE agents. People had rallied outside the facility to protest the Trump governance’s “Operation Midway Blitz,” which has led to the arrest of nearly 550 people in a sweeping crackdown on immigrants in the city.
we are going to Chicago,where we’re joined by Kat Abughazaleh,who is a progressive congressional candidate in Illinois’s 9th District,which includes Chicago.
Kat, welcome to Democracy Now! describe what happened to you. We’re going to show the video.
KAT Abughazaleh: Yeah, so, this is actually the third time that ICE has thrown me to the ground. I have been at this facility for the last three weeks every Friday morning, and I’ll be back this friday. I encourage anyone in Illinois to join me, 7 to 9 a.m. at 1930 Beach Street, B-E-A-C-H. this was, as I said, the third time that ICE has done this to me. It was probably the most violent occasion of throwing me to the ground. But, essentially, a car was about to run over a fellow protester, and so I went to check on that person. And that was all the justification an officer needed to pick me up and throw me to the ground despite being half his size.
And what I really want to stress here is that is what these officers are willing to do when there is press and cameras around. The reason we are protesting at this facility is because they are committing human rights abuses within the Broadview processing facility. It is indeed a processing facility, so people are not supposed to be kept there for more than 12 hours at a time, but they are being kept for days or weeks, without beds, without hot meals, with hygienic products. And if they are willing to do that to a congressional candidate on camera in front of press, imagine what they are willing to do to their detainees behind boarded-up windows.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Kat, you say you found two badges there. What did it say on the badges?
KAT Abughazaleh: So, I have no idea, the people who have accosted me. I have no idea who these men are. They have had masks and sunglasses and hats, sometiems when the sun is still down. We have seen two badge numbers the entire three weeks that we have been here – four weeks, if we include a vigil earlier in the summer – and they were just numbers. There was no name, and there was no identifying law enforcement agency. I have no idea if these men are actually affiliated with ICE. For all I no, this could just be random men who said, “I’m going to put on a mask and a costume I got from Spirit Halloween to make me feel like I’m in the Army, and go and rough up some protesters today.” We have no idea who these people are.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And in terms of what you know about the conditions in the Broadview facility, could you talk about that?
KAT Abughazaleh: Yes, this Broadview facility is horrific. We’ve g
kat Abughazaleh, progressive Candidate in Illinois’ 9th District, Challenges Democratic Leadership on Far-Right Resistance
Kat Abughazaleh, a researcher and journalist running for the congressional seat in Illinois’s 9th District, is campaigning on a platform of “unapologetic progressivism” and direct action against the far-right. The seat is open following the retirement of longtime Representative Jan Schakowsky.
In a recent interview on Democracy Now!, Abughazaleh explained her decision to run, stating she felt current Democratic leadership wasn’t adequately addressing the growing threat of far-right extremism. “I got sick of waiting around, and I decided to run the type of campaign I think we should,” she said.
Abughazaleh’s campaign distinguishes itself through a focus on grassroots mobilization and mutual aid. Her campaign office functions as a hub for local support,and events prioritize community needs over conventional fundraising. For example, the campaign’s kickoff event requested donations of menstrual hygiene products for Chicago’s Period Collective, rather than large monetary contributions.
“We are about mobilizing people on the ground right now and making politics as accessible as possible, while also not compromising on basic human rights,” Abughazaleh stated.
She emphasizes her unique experience in directly confronting the far-right,stating,”I am the onyl candidate in my race with a track record of fighting and winning against the far right.” Abughazaleh has spent her career researching and working to deradicalize individuals influenced by far-right narratives and misinformation.
The campaign has garnered significant grassroots support, raising over $1 million from over 7,000 volunteers, with an average donation of $32. Abughazaleh attributes this success to a desire for progressive and “commonsense” policies that prioritize the needs of voters.
“they want a center that recenters actual voters.And that’s what we deserve from our leaders,” she concluded.